Monday, August 10, 2015

GUEST POST BY SHERRILL S. CANNON: Book Review of Seventh Dimension - The Castle: A Young Adult Fantasy, Book 3




I am so thrilled by all the positive reviews from my new book The Castle in the Seventh Dimension Series.  I am thankful for those who have posted reviews and the encouragement it's given me to finish the fourth book in the series. 




The Castle: A Young Adult Fantasy (Seventh Dimension Series Book 3) This is truly an awesome series, and since I gave 5 stars to The Door, Book 1, and six stars to The King, Book 2, I must give 7 stars to this newest release, The Castle, Book 3.




Once more, the familiar characters interact and reveal more about the different time dimensions in which the story is told. I found the section about the Crucifixion the most compelling, having this literally earth-shattering event described through the eyes of a young man from 2015.




The juxtaposition of other historical events, including the description of Caiaphas with a shadow of a swastika, made the story eerily plausible. Later in the book, it was also enjoyable to become reacquainted with some of the characters of Ms. Roberts’ children’s book The Donkey and the King…all of these swirling and interconnecting through different dimensions of time. 

Once again I find myself grateful that the series will continue, as well as impatient that I have to wait!


Sunday, August 2, 2015

BOOK REVIEW: SEVENTH DIMENSION - THE CASTLE: A YOUNG ADULT FANTASY: Amazon Reviewer/Author Martin Roth








Gripping New Supernatural Thriller

By 
Martin Roth 
on August 1, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
I am a fan of the Seventh Dimension Series of Christian supernatural thrillers from Lorilyn Roberts, and her latest, The Castle, is the best.

Like its predecessor, The King, it relates the story of Daniel, a young Jewish man from present-day Jerusalem who enters the seventh dimension, where, as a friend tells him, “time is an illusion.” He finds himself in first-century Palestine and a witness to events surrounding the arrest and trial of Yeshua (Jesus).

These scenes occupy roughly the first half of the book, and in many respects, they are the most gripping part of the whole drama. Though we know of course that Yeshua is going to be betrayed and convicted, we still share the profound sense of apprehension and horror experienced by Daniel as he watches the events unfold right before him.

At the same time, extra tension is injected into the proceedings because we are aware that Daniel himself is in danger, as he is wanted by the Roman authorities and has escaped from prison.

And in this superbly written multi-layered book there is even more. For overshadowing everything is our knowledge that present-day Daniel is searching for his father, who disappeared while on a business trip. It seems that perhaps he is being held in a mysterious castle, somewhere far away.

I enjoy historical fiction and was impressed by the skillful way in which the author brings Palestine to life. One moment we are in a Roman prison, then we are in the temple in Jerusalem, watching Yeshua argue with the merchants. We are in the Garden of Gethsemane when the guards arrest Yeshua (and almost arrest Daniel). We are at Golgotha as Yeshua dies on the cross.

I was happy that the author resisted the temptation to hurry the action along. So we have time to look around, hear the sounds, and smell the fragrances. We feel we are there.

The book becomes darker towards the end, and without giving too much away, there are further encounters with Yeshua that are straight from the Book of Revelation. And here Daniel learns something about his father and understands that he has been chosen for a special mission. It is a dramatic ending that sets us up for the next book in the series.

Highly recommended.
Link to Amazon to purchase: http://bit.ly/3_BOTH





Wednesday, July 29, 2015

BOOK REVIEW: “Seventh Dimension - The Castle: A Young Adult Fantasy,” Five Stars from Amazon Reviewer/Author Jim Edwards: “A Fast Paced, Powerful and Insightful Novel - Excellent Read”
















 
By Jim Edwards on July 29, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
 
Once again, Lorilyn Roberts has given us a powerfully crafted sequel to her Seventh Dimension series. This is so much more than a YA Fantasy novel. I am well past her intended age group. This is a 21st Century re-telling of the greatest story ever told. In a fast-paced tale with many unexpected twists and turns, she draws out the depths of the human condition and the deceitfulness of the tempter, while illustrating the power and selfless love of Yeshua the Rabbi from Nazareth.

Daniel, now a young man, but born towards the end of the 20th century is stuck in the Seventh Dimension, in which time is an illusion until God’s appointed times. In ‘The Castle’ he becomes an eyewitness to the trials, crucifixion and resurrection of Yeshua, passionately described with great attention to detail and accuracy. 

Daniel has to decide for himself whether or not this healer and rabbi really is the long-promised Jewish Messiah, and whether his death was a murder or a sacrifice. What he cannot deny is witnessing Yeshua’s resurrection.

To acknowledge Yeshua as his Messiah, will be hugely costly and difficult against a hostile culture, and will Yeshua be able to help him find and free his missing father from his castle prison? For this we eagerly await the final book in the series.

Friday, July 24, 2015

SEVENTH DIMENSION - THE CASTLE: A YOUNG ADULT FANTASY, BOOK 3, is Available Now in Bookstores


                      



TIME IS AN ILLUSION UNTIL GOD'S APPOINTED TIME~Lorilyn Roberts






SEVENTH DIMENSION - THE CASTLE NOW AVAILABLE  AND GET FREE EBOOK OF THE DOOR
FROM 33 A.D. TO 2015 A.D.
NEW RELEASE

The Seventh Dimension Award-Winning Series continues in The Castle.



Haunted by a recurring dream of his missing father in a mysterious castle, 17-year-old Daniel is captured by the Romans and finds asylum in the Temple. There he discovers a scroll that reveals his future concerning a wager between good and evil. 

But the stakes are raised when he witnesses the trial and crucifixion of Yeshua. The convergence of time with supernatural events creates a suspenseful ending and leads to the fourth and final book in the Seventh Dimension SeriesThe City (HOPEFULLY AVAILABLE OCTOBER 1, 2015).



FREE EBOOK OF THE DOOR

Seventh Dimension - The Door, A Young Adult Christian Fantasy, is the first book in the Seventh Dimension Series that combines contemporary, historical, and fantasy elements into a Christian "coming-of-age" story. 

Free code: LU87U
LORILYN ROBERTS | AUTHORLORILYNROBERTS@GMAIL.COM | LORILYNROBERTS.COM
STAY CONNECTED:





Friday, July 10, 2015

BOOK REVIEW OF SEVENTH DIMENSION - THE KING: A YOUNG ADULT FANTASY “Journey to Jesus,” Five Stars from Amazon Reviewer Eishinas


on July 10, 2015
All readers who pick up Author Lorilyn Roberts’ Seventh Dimension- The King are sure to take an interestingly engaging life journey of Daniel - a seventeen-year-old Jewish boy who doesn't keep faith in God and Jewish beliefs. After witnessing the war and its suffering victims, one fine day Daniel's life gets a new dimension when he finds himself transported through time from Israel to the Roman ruling era.

The King unfolds itself into a captivating read with the perfect blend of fantasy, religion, and drama to be explored by Daniel in a whole new Seventh Dimension.

Author Lorilyn Roberts has done a wonderful job of depicting a realistic picture of times in the book be it the war struck Israel or be it the times of the Roman rule and their lifestyle making it easy for her readers to have a perfect imaginary visual of the adventures of Daniel's life.

I would highly recommend this absolutely interesting book to people of all ages and esp. to those with an interest in religion or historic reading. For sure this book is to keep its readers engaged till the very last page, providing them with a whole new and strong storyline in the genre of fantasy. It's a must-read!!




Get your copy from Amazon by clicking here.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

GUEST POST BY LAURA DAVIS: Interview of Lorilyn Roberts



Lion of the tribe of Judah


Several months ago, Laura Davis featured me on her blog when I began working on Seventh Dimension - The Castle, Book 3. Now that The Castle is finished, I decided to repost it here as it shares a lot of my writing journey for the Seventh Dimension Series. Enjoy.

LAURA DAVIS:  For those who aren’t familiar with your work, can you tell us a little about yourself.

LORILYN ROBERTS: My early childhood would make good fodder for a Hollywood movie. My father walked out on my mother when I was a baby and I did not meet him again until I was thirty. Any writing talent I received from God came through him. My mother is the least talented person I have ever met—but her business mind is uncanny.

I suppose you could say I’m the epitome of a frustrated writer without the frustration. I believe God has given me an ordinary beginning, one common to most writers so that His grace will be revealed despite my imperfections. We are all geniuses in disguise waiting for God’s perfection to be manifested. In the meantime, I believe the “becoming” is more important than the end. In the becoming, we learn how to work out our salvation, our struggles, and our writing dreams.

LAURA DAVIS:  How long have you been writing?
LORILYN ROBERTS:  I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil. I would write stories imitating cursive writing and ask my mother to read them. She would gently say, “Would you like to read that to me?” And I would read her my illegible handwriting. I’ve kept one of the first stories I wrote in a box underneath my bed. Every few years, I’ll pull it out and read it. Then I’ll dubiously wonder if my writing has improved after forty years of court reporting, captioning, publishing seven books, and receiving my Masters in Creative Writing.
I love writing more than reading, cooking, or anything else—except perhaps lying on the beach with a good book or scuba diving. Sometimes I wonder if God has put me in a position where my writing hours are limited so I must balance my life with the mundaneness of everyday living. Otherwise, I might become a hermit and never leave my writing corner. I love losing myself in stories, the creative process of building an imaginative world, and then figuring out how to share that with others.

Writing for me is magical. Sometimes we forget that God is magnificently creative. He longs for us to embrace that magical part of ourselves. Jesus said, “If you don’t believe in me, believe in the works I do.” I see that as a call to use our talents to glorify God and to reveal to readers God’s creativity through our words.

I feel closest to God when I am writing. Sometimes I will hear God say to me, “That’s boring. You can do better than that.” I remind myself, don’t compromise for the sake of expediency. Give the reader every last ounce of creativity I have so God will know it’s my best—for His glory, His honor, His kingdom.

LAURA DAVIS: What is the hardest thing about writing for you?

LORILYN ROBERTS: The hardest thing about writing is finding the time. I’m a single parent, although my youngest is almost grown, but everyday living takes up a sizable chunk of time. Writing in the middle of the night works best. The only thing that might disturb me is a cockroach looking for a free meal, and as long as I can spray him with a half a can of poison and make sure his wiggly legs stop moving, I can go back to finishing my scene. 

Otherwise, my mind will be on roaches and other disturbing thoughts that shouldn’t be in my book. I had hoped our three cats and dog from the humane society who spend ninety percent of their time sleeping could earn their keeps by disposing of them for me. Occasionally, I’ll find an abandoned roach leg on the floor and wonder who the murderer was. When you live in Florida, you adjust or move to colder climates.

LAURA DAVIS:  Can you tell us about your new book?




LORILYN ROBERTS: I am writing a YA fantasy series called The Seventh Dimension. The second book in the series The King was published in August. The third book The Castle was published in 2016. Since then The City and The Prescience have been published. I'm now working on book 6, The Howling

The Seventh Dimension is a spiritual reality. The premise behind the series is that everyone who has accepted Yeshua into their hearts has traveled to first-century Israel and met Yeshua at the cross.

In The Seventh Dimension, which is a parallel spiritual universe, we must make choices that affect where we will spend eternity. When we meet Yeshua, we must surrender our past so that He can redeem it. Every soul has been bought and paid for by Yeshua. However, Satan doesn’t know the outcome, so to win a soul to his camp is a prized possession. God can’t give us His gift unless we accept it. Because Satan is a deceiver—he has nothing to lose. The battle is far deeper and more complex than we can imagine. Most of the battle is fought on a spiritual level, so in The Seventh Dimension, we see the spiritual side of the war—with demons, angels, and Yeshua.

The Seventh Dimension embraces the mystery of God and is a reality outside of time not limited by human understanding. Time exists for our benefit and makes it convenient to trace the events of history and give us a sense of reference. The Seventh Dimension embraces the past, the present, and the future. I hope as I write, God gives me insights into this spiritual reality. Hopefully, the concept will come alive in the reader’s heart and touch those who have yet to embrace our Savior.

I remind myself, to give my Audience of One my book, and He will make it a hundred times more powerful than I could do in my limited human ability. I hope I have been able to achieve that in The Seventh Dimension Series.

LAURA DAVIS: What inspired you to write this book?
LORILYN ROBERTS: The first book in The Seventh Dimension Series is actually a children’s picture book, The Donkey and the King. I was in Israel in 1991 at the beginning of the Gulf War and this book was inspired by that experience. Later, when I was working on my Master in Creative Writing, I wanted to continue with the theme in a YA series addressing different issues.

So I wrote the first book The Door that in many ways is a reflection of my own life. In The Door, a young girl, Shale Snyder, is bullied and rejected by significant others. A dog finds Shale and coaxes her to follow her to a different world. There she meets the King and many other people from her past, only this time it’s in the spiritual world of The Seventh Dimension.

In the second book, The King, the protagonist, Daniel Sperling, is a 17-year-old Israeli boy who was introduced in The Door. Forced to enter a treatment center following a mental breakdown, he is angry with God and has abandoned his Jewish faith. When a devastating earthquake rocks Israel, he is transported to The Seventh Dimension. There he is confronted with conflicting “truths” in a parallel universe that challenges everything he has ever believed. His dreams of medical school are threatened when romantic interests touch his heart and a strange demon tempts him to make poor choices.

The Seventh Dimension Series shows readers that the path to God for each believer is unique and fascinating. God’s plan may take years to understand because our earthly understanding is limited. I would encourage sojourners to embrace the hard things and ask God to redeem them. All of my books have that element of redemption.

You never know what blessings may come if you look for the “good” everywhere. My hope is that Jewish skeptics will read my book and ask questions, more specifically, could Jesus be the long-awaited Messiah?

As an aside. I recently learned that I have Jewish blood in me through DNA testing with 23 And Me. I am thankful to know that my love for the Jewishness of the Bible is not quirky or imagined. God used my Jewish friends to draw me to Him. Experiencing God’s love firsthand and reading the “proof texts” in the Old Testament were too compelling to ignore.

LAURA DAVIS:  What books do you enjoy reading?

LORILYN ROBERTS:  I enjoy reading books that are creative, well-written, and unpredictable. After I finish a good story, I want to ponder its meaning. I want a book to reveal a nugget of truth I have never seen. I want to read books that will encourage me to write and stir my own creative juices, leaving me to admire the gift of writing in others. I want a book that resonates with spiritual truth and becomes a part of who I am.

Books that have done this for me include the Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis, Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoyevsky, and JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

I believe readers want books written with a Christian worldview even if they don’t know it. God’s image is imprinted on human hearts which creates a deep longing for Him. Too many have replaced that longing with counterfeits because they haven’t discovered the truth.

I hope readers will read The Seventh Dimension Series and share my books with their friends and family. I am also always looking for reviewers. 


The Seventh Dimension Award-Winning Series continues in "The Castle." 

Haunted by a recurring dream of his missing father in a mysterious castle, 17-year-old Daniel is captured by the Romans and finds asylum in the Temple. There he discovers a scroll that reveals his future concerning a wager between good and evil. But the stakes are raised when he witnesses the trial and crucifixion of Yeshua. The convergence of time with supernatural events creates a suspenseful ending and leads to the fourth book in the Seventh Dimension Series, The City.




*~*~*~*

Lorilyn Roberts has won multiple awards for the Seventh Dimension Series, including The King: 2014 USA Best Book Awards Finalist and a 2014 Gold Winner for Faith-Based YA Fiction in the Literary Classics Awards, among other awards.

For special offers, follow Lorilyn on twitter @LorilynRoberts and visit her Facebook fan page here. You can read more of her blogposts at LorilynRoberts.com


Lorilyn graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Alabama in 1991. Her studies included spending two weeks in Israel at the start of the Gulf War and touring England, Australia, New Zealand, and several countries in Europe. She later attended the Institute of Children's Literature and earned her Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Perelandra College.